Teachers call for proper regulations as OpenAI launches free AI training course

OpenAI has entered a partnership with Common Sense Media to launch a free training course for teachers. The AI chatbot maker expects its new course to improve knowledge about artificial intelligence (AI) use and prompt engineering among educators. 

Earlier this year, OpenAI introduced ChatGPT Edu. At the time, it said the module was specially designed for universities to introduce faculty members, researchers, and students to AI tools responsibly. 

This new course directly focuses on grassroots educators. It is part of OpenAI’s push to enter the early childhood education space, a campaign led by former Coursera executive Leah Belsky, who joined the company in September.

OpenAI makes inroads into primary education 

In a conversation with Reuters, Belsky shared her ambitions for AI in education, stating, “My goal in this role is to put AI into the hands of every student and every teacher and also give them the skills to learn how to do it responsibly and effectively.” 

She also noted that AI adoption and usage among students has been notably high, and parents consider AI skills essential for their wards’ future careers.

The new course, titled “ChatGPT Foundations for K–12 Educators,” is hosted on Common Sense Education and targets teachers working with students from kindergarten through 12th grade. 

Part of the new course’s syllabus is to help teachers understand ChatGPT and learn how to integrate it into their teaching practices. 

AI’s strained relationship with educators

While some consider the initiative an olive branch, many skeptics have been quick to recall the negative influence generative AI had on education when it first appeared on the scene. 

It did not take long for schools to ban the platform after ChatGPT launched in 2022. Teachers. Especially had a difficult time grading papers as students caught on that they could use AI to quickly complete assignments and term papers. The result was a spike in plagiarism and cheating.

In response, educators had to get creative to get their students to do their coursework themselves, with some even conceding some ground to AI use. 

This latest course by OpenAI and Commone Sense Media have reignited those conversations. Some have taken a dig at the ethical implications of educators using the tech, pointing out data privacy and safety concerns. Others have shared concerns about how OpenAI will handle the data generated from prompts and prompt results. 

Notably, OpenAI states in its terms of service that it does not sell user data and that ChatGPT users own the output of their prompts to the extent permitted by applicable law. However, there are also reasonable concerns that tech companies, including OpenAI, may change their terms of service and go back on their promises. 

International bodies like the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) have clamored for governments to create regulations on AI use in education. They also propose setting age limits and frameworks for data protection and privacy. However, nothing concrete has been put out in terms of a working AI policy.

While there are still debates about whether AI belongs in preliminary classrooms, leading tertiary institutions have somehow found a way to make it work. Some stakeholders believe AI use has upsides, and teachers can make the most of these advantages while also limiting risks. 

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